Crypto Biz: Google bullish on blockchain, UK’s $125M AI pledge, Voyager and Binance

cointelegraph.com:

At the intersection of tech and cryptocurrency news, the Google for Startups Cloud Program has expanded to include 11 blockchain firms. Together, the entities will provide grants, expertise and services to emerging Web3 entrepreneurs. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom government has allocated $125 million in funding for a task force aimed at accelerating the country’s artificial intelligence (AI) readiness. The task force will focus on ensuring sovereign capabilities, such as public services, and fostering the adoption of safe and reliable AI foundation models.

In other headlines, troubled cryptocurrency exchange FTX is set to sell its LedgerX futures and options exchange and clearinghouse for around $50 million to private equity investment office M7 Holdings, subject to court approval. Meanwhile, Binance.US has backed out of its agreement to purchase Voyager Digital’s assets, worth $1 billion, citing a “hostile and uncertain regulatory climate in the United States.”

This week’s Crypto Biz: Google expanding its Web3 program, U.K. pledging $125 million for an AI task force, FTX selling LedgerX for $50 million and Binance.US backs out of $1 billion Voyager asset purchase.

Google for Startups Cloud Program has expanded to include 11 Web3 blockchain partners, such as Alchemy, Polygon, Celo and Hedera. Blockchain analytics company Nansen also announced that it has partnered with Google Cloud to provide real-time blockchain data for startups as part of the program. As part of the new Cloud Program, pre-seed Web3 startups can receive up to $2,000 in Google Cloud credits valid for two years, while seeded startups can access $200,000 over two years for Google Cloud and Firebase usage. Additionally, blockchain partners are offering